When complete nut-job James Holmes applied for a place on a prestigious neuroscience doctoral programe last year at the University of Illinois, along with his CV and application, he added what any aspiring neuroscientist would add: a picture of himself feeding a llama.

In rather bad news for llama PR, the image shows Holmes trying to feed a llama a twig. His mental instability should have been noticed then, as everyone knows the staple diet of llamas is grass. Though they are also known to eat shoots and leaves, it’s a punctuation joke I am just not willing to make here.

From that point on members of the university’s admissions board, when discussing his application, called Holmes “the llama”. Holmes visited the Illinois campus in March 2011 and the university has now released all correspondence relating to him.

Staff used the nickname in various emails regarding Holmes. The neuroscience programme coordinator wrote in one email to a colleague: “You can’t miss the llama.” Another member of staff wrote an email saying: “Do you have any of llama’s travel details for next week?”

Despite the odd image, Holmes was accepted the by the University of  Illinois, who described him as “truly outstanding” and offered him an annual $22 660 stipend, and the waiver of all tuition fees. He turned down the offer. In his application Holmes wrote a personal motivation letter in which he explained why he wanted to study neuroscience:

I have always been fascinated by the complexities of a long lost thought seemingly arising out of nowhere into a stream of awareness. These fascinations likely stemmed from my interest in puzzles and paradoxes as an adolescent.

He was among the top one per cent of honours students at his University in California, but something broke. He is now accused of killing 12 people and injuring 58 in a shooting rampage at a cinema in Aurora. He has been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. His lawyers claim that he is suffering from a mental illness.

There has been no word from the llamas.

[Source: The Telegraph ]